Report: UConn President Salary Above National Median

University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst's $575,000 pay in 2014 was well above the median for public university presidents, according to a report released Monday.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that Herbst's salary — base pay of $525,000 supplemented by $50,000 in deferred compensation — was nearly 135 percent of the national median of about $428,000.

Herbst's compensation was in the 82nd percentile nationally, the Chronicle reported. The university's expenses as a whole of $1.9 billion were in the 86th percentile, its tuition in the 77th percentile, and its average salary for full professors in 2013-14 of $140,652 was in the 92nd percentile, according to the report.

"President Herbst heads an institution with a budget of $2 billion, more than 30,000 students, seven campuses, an academic medical center and hospital, and more than 9,000 employees," said UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz. "The compensation for the president of a company of that size would be many multiples of what the president of UConn is paid."

"Her pay is also in line with — and, in some cases, below — the pay of presidents at many other large, public universities that are similar to UConn. Her pay remains below that of presidents at many private institutions, including several in Connecticut," Reitz said.

"Comparing the UConn president’s salary against the median nationwide is an apples-to-oranges proposition because that includes many small and very dissimilar institutions. The most appropriate comparisons are against peer institutions which, like UConn, are large and have a complex research enterprise, wide-ranging academic scope, and robust outreach and service missions in their states."

Reitz also noted that $300,000 of the total value of her contract each year is funded with private dollars by the UConn Foundation.

Herbst "is a bold, decisive and innovative president whose most important priority has been and continues to be building the academic quality of the university on behalf of our students and the state of Connecticut," Board of Trustees Chairman Larry McHugh said in December, when Herbst's contract was renewed through 2019.

The Connecticut State University system schools did not participate in the survey, said spokesman Michael Kozlowski.

"We interpreted the request as part of a 'higher education' study, and we were not interested in participating in a study of this type, based on the difference between CSCU and other, national colleges and universities, when it was originally requested," he said.

He also questioned whether it made sense to compare Connecticut's state universities with schools in other states.

Gregory Gray, the president of the Board of Regents for the Connecticut State University system, is paid $380,000. Elsa Nunez, at Eastern Connecticut State University, is paid $329,576, and John "Jack" Miller at Central Connecticut State University is paid $327,999.